I did a major purging of my home last week. My tiny place does not boast a lot of storage so I have to be strict with what I keep around. I will never be accused of being a hoarder. If I haven’t used something in the last year, it’s gone to either Value Village, a friend or to the recycling box. There’s a no junk rule imposed in my house.
But when it comes to my sneakers …. I tend to keep them longer than I should. I still have the pair of sneakers that I wore in the New York Marathon in 2011 and the first pair of New Balance runners that I bought in 2009.
When I first started running, I didn’t replace my shoes often. Money was a factor and I didn’t realize sneakers had a life span. Digging through my front, I even found a pair of North Face hiking shoes. (I know now I can simply wear my trail shoes when running or hiking on the mountains). Some shoes still had the old school timing chips. Ooops.
I made a decision – they had to go.
I will always have the memories from the races. I didn’t need the dirty, smelly, worn out sneakers. I grabbed the still useable pairs and shipped them off to Value Village. A reader on my Facebook page mentioned A Better World in Lacombe donates old sneakers to countries where people cannot afford to buy shoes. I will have to keep this in mind the next time I do a purge.
I was left with two pairs of crossfit shoes (not shown) and six pairs of runners. I kept two for trail – Peregrine 5 and Altra Lone Peak 2.5 and two pairs of New Balance and one Saucony for the track. My Salomon Speedcross will stick around for another winter.
I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Now I have more room in my closet for more sneakers. Just kidding. I do not need any new pairs. But I have been considering getting another pair of Altras because I love them so much on the trail. I wonder how they are on the road. I recently listened to a Trail Runner Nation podcast with Golden Harper, the founder of Altra running. Now I want all the shoes.
How many pairs of sneakers do you own?
Do you regularly “purge” your sneakers?
I have never tried Altra but I have heard great things about them. I have like 10 pairs of shoes for running, and I for regular life. I do not like to keep junk either, I purge my house all the time. It makes life so much easier.
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I hear ya! It feels like a weight has been lifted too!
It sounds like you embarked on a truly commendable mission: a major purge of your “tiny place” to combat clutter! Your “no junk rule” and commitment to getting rid of unused items are impressive. However, it’s clear that sneakers are your Achilles’ heel when it comes to decluttering, transforming your closet into a “sneaker graveyard.”